


build me up, don't break me

by love_killed_the_superstar



Series: it's our happily ever after, after all [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Bisexual Rapunzel (Disney), Cassandra Appreciation Week (Disney: Tangled), Confinement, Eloping, F/F, Gen, Lesbian Cassandra (Disney: Tangled), Poly-V, Polyamory, Polygamy, Post-Canon, Uknighted Dream, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:22:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24208135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_killed_the_superstar/pseuds/love_killed_the_superstar
Summary: #7 // “This... this should be a happy day for us, Cass! The start of something new!”“You're right. Raps, this is a happy day. And – and I mean it, Rapunzel, I am so happy for you both. My best friends get to be happy together forever. Why wouldn't I be?”She stands up quickly and holds her hand out, pulling Rapunzel to her feet. Rapunzel stares at her for a heartbeat, face clouded with some emotion too tumultuous to unpack in this moment, before reaching over and wiping a tear away as it spills over from Cass's eyes.“I know you are.” Her face softens into a smile. “Hey, dance with me? Please?”(A collection of ficlets for Cassandra Appreciation Week 2020.)
Relationships: Captain of Corona's Guard & Cassandra (Disney), Cassandra & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel, Cassandra & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider (Disney), Cassandra & Lance Strongbow, Cassandra & The Moonstone (Disney), Cassandra/Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Queen Arianna of Corona & Cassandra (Disney: Tangled), Uknighted Dream - Relationship
Series: it's our happily ever after, after all [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833451
Comments: 64
Kudos: 229





	1. friendship

**Author's Note:**

> some ficlets for cass appreciation week 2020!! (all ficlets are unrelated to my other fic)  
> title of fic is from 'build me up' by hannah cohen.  
> we're starting with day 1: friendship! cass and lance deserved more moments together i feel like their dynamic is great but hardly ever seen ;;;

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, what's on the itinerary today?”  
> “I brought board games,” Lance sings, patting his satchel. “Your two dearly beloveds are supervising the clean up effort while the king and queen reopen the royal court, so we're in it for a long morning.”  
> Cass pulls a face. “Do not call Fitzherbert my dearly beloved so soon after breakfast.”

Every day is like clockwork in the run up to her trial.

Lance is here at the usual time, and Cass is already fed and dressed by the time he arrives, ready and waiting at the door to let him in before he even has to knock.

“Morning, miss former-enemy-of-the-kingdom,” he trills.

“And a morning to you, mr jackass,” she replies, equally as saccharine. He laughs from his belly despite the weak rebuttal, and Cass shuts the door behind him as he waltzes on in. “So, what's on the itinerary today?”

“I brought board games,” he sings, patting his satchel. “Your two dearly beloveds are supervising the clean up effort while the king and queen reopen the royal court, so we're in it for a long morning.”

Cass pulls a face. “Do _not_ call Fitzherbert my dearly beloved so soon after breakfast.”

“That's what you take issue with? I hammed up the board games part too much, I actually only brought snakes and ladders and I'm pretty sure the die is missing.”

“Fantastic.”

He flops down on her bed and she watches as he sets up the game regardless. Despite his usual chipper energy, she can sense something else is weighing on his mind.

“You know, we don't _have_ to play a game. You're not actually babysitting me,” she points out. “You won't get docked any pay from the guard for not entertaining me.”

“I'm just trying to squeeze in as much fun as possible! Because take it from personal experience, Cass, prison? Not fun. Not even a little bit,” he quips. She stiffens, and he seems to realise his joke strayed a little too close to reality. Lance glances up at her. “Sorry. Too far?”

“No! No, not at all. I'm... I'm disciplined. I can do hard time.” She holds her chin up high and just hopes he believes her. He shrugs, glancing back down at the board.

“Well, what do I know, anyway? I wasn't secretly dating the future monarch at _my_ trial, so you'll probably escape with a slap on the wrist,” he continues, and Cass rolls her eyes, sitting down opposite and jostling the three scuffed player pieces in the box with her weight.

“Yeah, yeah. I'm already pleading guilty, so I won't be getting any special treatment, believe me.”

“I'll believe it when I see it, but I'm ready to wager that Rapunzel will cause a scene in the courtroom if the king even considers putting you behind bars.”

“I appreciate her fighting for me,” Cass says quietly, folding her arms over her chest. “And – well, all of you. Don't know that I deserve it, really, after everything.”

“Oh, you do.” Lance's lack of hesitation is heart-warming. “We all screw up when we're hurting. Doesn't mean that we're beyond help.”

Cass swallows and nods, not trusting herself to say anything more on the matter. If she talks for too long about these things it ends up getting real depressing, real fast. A long beat passes between them, before Lance sighs in defeat.

“As I thought. No die.”

“Lance, we're twenty-four and twenty-six years of age, I think we can survive without a board game to occupy us.” Her mind lingers on a different subject as Lance dejectedly begins to pack it away once more. “Have you talked to Keira and Catalina yet?”

At that, it's like a sun dawning on his face, the way his eyes shine and his mouth pulls into a grin.

“Tonight. I'm going to ask them tonight.”

“So _that's_ why you're on the morning shift.”

“That and I have to cover a shift at The Snuggly Duckling at three.”

“Being a caregiver in training is tough, huh?”

Lance shrugs, as if it doesn't matter a whit. “A job's a job. I'm doing it for the girls.”

“And if they say no?”

“Then I'll invite you to get piss drunk with me at my workplace and get myself fired. It's a win-win.”

“No it's not. Give it your best, okay?”

Lance flashes a smile that's so unguarded and genuine that it makes Cass feel vulnerable by exposure, and she quickly stares down at her lap while he rummages around in his satchel. As he grasps something inside, he gasps in delight.

“Hey, now! I thought I was forgetting something!” He pulls out a small box, no bigger than to fix a piggy bank in, and hands it to her. It's nothing fancy, but he's tried to make a bow out of plain brown string, so the thought is certainly there.

“Oh, uh, thank you. Um... what's the occasion?”

“No occasion. Just thought it would cheer you up.”

It's such a small gesture, and one that wouldn't feel out of place at all if it were Raps on the giving end, but something about it being Lance makes her eyes oddly moist. She blinks rapidly against this sudden wave of _something_ (gratitude? Shock that after all this, there are people in the world that would care to give her something without there being some strings attached?) and hurriedly loosens the string.

As she pulls the string off in a flourish and removes the lid, greeted by a smooth, round surface of gaudy yellows and pinks and blues, with a small swirled point at the top, she looks up at him in unbridled giddiness.

“So. I heard you like tops?” Lance asks with a grin and a wiggle of the eyebrows, and Cass can't hold back her watery laugh.


	2. bravery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Want to talk about it?” he asks quietly, once her breathing has finally slowed.  
> “I wouldn't be... able to put it into words,” Cass admits, still panting slightly. She feels kind of ridiculous right now; clammy and shaky and with all of her insecurities laid out in front of him. If her legs weren't so wobbly she would take off in a heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for anxiety attacks.  
> day 2 is 'bravery'! my idea was: for cass, the bravest thing she can do is be vulnerable, so here she is. being vulnerable. because she's brave.  
> (spoiler alert: i just like cass angst)

Cassandra has always considered herself to be brave. Not fearless, of course. Things can be scary. Drowning, for instance, is terrifying. Being swept beyond the shores, losing sight of everything, reaching out for a hand to pull her from the deep and into the air again so she can finally breathe, only for nothing to come – all terrifying.

That feeling still comes and goes, especially so now that she's back in Corona after straying so far from everything she's ever known, but she finally has a label to put to the feeling.

Anxiety.

She got pretty good at hiding the anxiety attacks on the road, sneaking out of the caravan to scream into a hollowed out tree trunk while trying to use the technique Rapunzel had taught her to conquer her fear, going through the steps of polishing armour but being unable to even say the words because of how erratic her breathing was...

But here in Corona after the fact, with everyone watching her every move, it's getting harder and harder to find privacy in these moments when something triggers this overwhelming feeling. Sometimes it's just a throwaway line about how absolutely fucked up some of the buildings are in Old Corona because of the black rocks (it's her fault, and back then she was _glad_ of it – what kind of a fucking monster–?). Sometimes it's just the realisation that all eyes are on her and things might never go back to normal again, and wasn't that what she _wanted_? Why does it choke the air from her lungs like this?

Cass never wanted anyone to find out, but once her knees have buckled and the air supply has been cut off, it's clear to her that she's past the point of no return. The only choice is to ride it out, trying to remember that she almost certainly won't die from this no matter how dreadful it feels. That's how Eugene finds her today, on her hands and knees as her breath comes in short gasps and her head is swimming with panic and fear and self-loathing that she just can't seem to fight.

“Cass!” He's at her side, fear on his face as loud as the uniform he's wearing. He reaches over to squeeze her shoulder, tries to force her to look at him because it's scaring him, seeing her lose control like this. The demon she's fighting in this moment has no spiralled horns, no ancient power; but the grip it has on her, painful and overbearing, is all too similar. “Cass, can you hear me? What's wrong?”

She tries to speak, but no words come out, another gasping breath seizing her. The tremors through her body are unrelenting, rolling earthquakes beneath her skin that make it hard to hold herself upright. Cass wants to tell him that she'll be fine soon, and to just turn around and leave for half an hour, pretend he didn't see a thing – but how can she ask that of him and expect him to follow through? He's as stubborn as a mule, and it's not a quality that she's always appreciated. Right now, she decidedly _doesn't._

Eugene makes a frustrated noise in the back of his throat and moves closer, forcing himself into her line of sight.

“Cass, please, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong.”

The walls of her throat are closing in, but mercifully she manages to push out two words to downplay the whole situation. Unfortunately for her, saying “I'm fine” with all the vocal strength of a newborn kitten doesn't reassure Eugene like she had hoped.

“Oh, come on! Cass, you are not fine. You can barely breathe! Is this an asthma attack? An allergic reaction? I don't know how to distribute first aid!”

In a calmer time she might have made some sly comment about how a captain of the guard should be able to tell the difference between a physical ailment and the shell-shock of a fellow soldier. But this isn't a calmer time, so she just shakes her head.

“Okay, okay. Uhh, okay. What to do – breathing! When, when Lance panics we, we take deep breaths together, so, uh – count in with me, okay, Cass? One, two, three – and breathe. One, two-”

“Stop,” Cass manages to say in between shallow gulps of air, “just-”

“Ah-ah-ah!” Eugene sticks a gloved finger in her face and she wrenches her head away, glowering at him. “Stop talking. No talking until you're breathing normally.”

Anger spikes through her at that, some petty, defiant part of her wanting to tell him to get off his high horse. Regardless, she starts to breathe with him, feeling her head growing clearer as she follows his voice. Her eyelids are too heavy from the sudden exhaustion of the panic attack hitting like a brick, but hearing him talk, along with the solid grip of his hands on her shoulders, anchor her to the earth.

“You're doing good,” he murmurs at one point, once he can hear her erratic breathing growing steadier. “You're taking back your breath, that's good. Great job.”

Cass doesn't remember him ever taking this kind of tone with her before. It digs at her wrong, being so defenceless. Even if she weren't so tired she doubts that she'd be able to meet his gaze.

They keep breathing. Time passes. He's still here.

“Want to talk about it?” he asks quietly, once her breathing has finally slowed.

“I wouldn't be... able to put it into words,” Cass admits, still panting slightly. She feels kind of ridiculous right now; clammy and shaky and with all of her insecurities laid out in front of him. If her legs weren't so wobbly she would take off in a heartbeat.

“Does this happen a lot?” continues Eugene, and she can feel his hands flex nervously against the tightness of her shoulders, his thumb skimming along just to evoke some kind of response, to know she's not tuning him out. “The trembling on the floor and struggling to breathe while crying, and all that?”

Shit, she was crying? Weakly, she reaches up to wipe at her face.

“If I say yes, would it... be a big mistake?”

“No. No, I don't think so.” The skimming stops, and his hands slowly pull away. The loss of touch almost feels like the tether holding her in place is close to snapping, and she'll get pulled up into space and carried away from all of this. But then he moves in for a hug and she finds herself stiffly in his arms, the embrace kind of awkward and disjointed. “Do you consider it a mistake if we care about you, Cass?”

She shrugs limply and avoids his last question.

“This just happens. Recently it's been happening... more.” As weird as the sensation of being hugged by Eugene is, a tether is a tether.

“You should have told someone. Rapunzel, or... or me. You know we just want to help, right?”

“But I don't need you to worry about me, Eugene. I – I _shouldn't_ need you to. I'm supposed to be _brave_.”

“That's some bullshit, you're the bravest person I know!” he exclaims, so casually it's almost dismissive. “I don't really think that courage can be measured based on how sound of mind somebody is, anyway. Some of the bravest people in existence are batshit crazy, and people's struggles get watered down when they're being written into folk tales.”

“Well, I think it's a little early for that.”

“I don't, Feldspar's already written a historically inaccurate play about the moonstone ordeal, I'd say you're halfway there already.”

Cass cracks a weak smile. “And that's only the stuff that's been made common knowledge to the public.”

Eugene gasps. “Right! If people find out you've been dating my girlfriend – nay, the future reigning monarch of Corona – you'll be cemented in folklore for sure! That settles that, we'll throw a banquet and you can stage a dramatic declaration of stealing Rapunzel away–”

“There's no way I'm doing that.”

“Look, how else are we going to turn you into a legend that transcends time, huh? Seriously, I'm all ears.”

It's dramatic and overly cheesy and definitely how Eugene would do it, that's for sure. As Eugene spins more tales of how Cass can build on her questionable legacy with something equally as bold and poetic, Cass leans against him, drained. The last waves of panic settle within her.

Maybe the sensation of drowning will be easier to bear, knowing there's someone on the shore to spot her.


	3. underrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass huffs out a mirthless laugh. “It feels absurd now, that I could ever be on the guard while you were calling the shots, but I used to dream like that all the time. So eager to prove myself worthy of the position.”
> 
> “You weren't ready,” he insists, but his resolve is fragmented at this point.
> 
> “I was. You really still believe that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day 3!! the theme is 'underrated'. this, uhh... is probably very vague for the prompt, but we all know cap doesn't take cassandra's skills seriously and it puts a huge fucking strain on their relationship, so... i wanted to sort through some of those feelings, i guess. also, i like the idea of them going on fishing trips together.  
> was listening to 'father and son' by cat stevens the whole time i was writing this, tune in for maximum cass and cap feels.

Last night she dreamt that she was appointed captain of the guard.

It was after a daring fight, and Cassandra is sure that it was a strange, psychedelic concoction of every fight she's ever been in. Zhan Tiri was definitely there in all her power-wielding glory, but so was a glowing Hector, a desperate Varian – even her father, throwing punches behind a mask. Yet it was him who patted her shoulder at the end of it all and said, voice gruff but brimming with pride, “You've left me with no choice this time, kiddo.”

The dread that filled her for a stomach-churning moment was enough to send her falling into a never-ending void, hurtling downwards, downwards, until he squeezed her shoulder and added, “Congratulations, Captain.”

Then she was soaring. She reckons she soared so far, so fast that she hit the ceiling of her dreams and smashed right through the walls of reality itself, until she slammed into the hard wood and was awoken with a sharp pain in her back and the air gone from her lungs.

That was ten minutes ago. She's finally come to accept that reality has never been so kind to her, and of _course_ her cynical brain can't let her have nice things even in her dreams – so in the end, Cass is left with no other choice but to pick herself up and move on.

It's barely light out, but the bed opposite hers is empty, so she dresses in the dark and tugs on her boots. The green still feels a little foreign to her. It's like she's shed her skin, tossing away the red of her father's old tunic and the black-turned-grey rubble of her rock armour. Green is a clean slate. Green is a future where things are different.

Making sure her lady's favour is securely tied around her arm and her sword in its sheath, Cass unlatches the cabin door and steps out into the night as it ebbs closer to dawn. A cool breeze rushes through her hair immediately, sweeping it back and sending a shiver running through her. Above, as the dark sky smears into a lighter blue tinged at the edges with yellows and pinks, birds scatter, chattering to each other in their own tongues. As fun as she recalls it was to fly, Cass reckons she prefers her feet planted on solid ground.

Then she spots him.

Her father is sat out on the lake's edge, pants rolled up to the knees and shins planted in the water. He's smoking a pipe, something he only does when something is weighing on his mind, and she can only speculate whether its the early retirement or the fragility of their relationship that has him falling back on a vice that he always swears up and down that he's put behind him.

“Couldn't sleep?” she asks, picking through the brush to get to him. He exhales, smoke filling the air around him, fanning out until it fades into the dim light. He glances back at her, just for a second, before turning his attention back to the stillness of the water before them. It stings, it really stings, that after all they've been through there are still moments like this where he can't bear to face her.

“I – no, actually. I suppose just because I've stepped down from my post doesn't mean that my body will forget twenty-six years' worth of early morning drills.”

“Ah, but you're missing the point of retirement, aren't you?” Cass continues, forcing herself to keep her tone light, for her words not to shake, as she sits beside him. She hugs her knees, not quite ready yet to sink her legs into the freezing mountain water. “Besides, I know there's more to it than force of habit, Dad. You're smoking, for starters.”

“Don't you think about starting,” he says automatically, in protective father mode even while distracted as he is. Her father takes another drag and the smoke that funnels from his lips is chased away by the deep sigh that follows. “It's a dreadful habit.”

“I won't,” she says hollowly, and for a moment it's like Cass is watching every conversation she's ever had with her father play out simultaneously. How many times has this exact monotone scenario been run over the years? She remembers it word for word. They're like water, being carried from one state of matter to the next over and over again in a taciturn loop. But unlike all the other times, where she's been sat at his feet polishing her armour while he smokes in his armchair, both weary from a long day where things have gone wrong, they're somewhere new.

The change will surely make this run of the scenario stick out in her head for years to come, Cass decides.

“It's a beautiful place, isn't it?” her father murmurs. He leans a little, so their shoulders are pressed against each other, and it's something so small, yet something she's missed so terribly. “Like nothing can reach us here.”

“It's peaceful,” Cass agrees. “Have we come here before?”

“Once. The summer that I officially adopted you,” he muses, a small smile growing at the memory. “You were too young to actually fish, but something compelled me to show you this place anyway. I spent my childhood on this lake – even ice fished in the winter – so it only felt right, now that I had a _daughter_ to share that joy with.”

“I remember the water. It was pretty, but I refused to learn how to swim because the summer before was when I... I got caught by that wave and swept out to sea.”

Even now, after so much time has passed, even bringing it up to her father fills her with a sense of dread. He's quiet, occasionally taking another drag from the pipe.

“...I was thinking about that a few months back,” he says eventually. After all this, her father still won't look at her. “After our... altercation at the ruins.”

Oh, fuck. “Dad-” Cass begins, a single, strangled word before he cuts her off.

“I thought about the – the way I handled you. For your whole life. And it – it was wrong. I did it wrong, Cassandra.” And he finally looks at her, looks her right in the eye. His own hold so much pent up grief that it starts to feel painful to hold that gaze, so she breaks away first.

God, she doesn't want to deal with this. It's too early, it's barely even daylight, and it's too soon in the day to have a conversation this emotional.

“I didn't know how to approach you. I didn't even know how to ask you about what you'd been through before I found you, you were so little – so you buried the memories, and I... I thought it would be easier for you if you just forgot. But, I wonder if it was just easier for _me_ if you didn't know.”

Cass unfurls her legs and tugs off her boots.

“The time I almost lost you was the same. I was supposed to always protect you. I promised you that, but I see now that my – my responses when you shock me or scare me – they aren't what a father's should be. Anger, a stern tone, like you're some soldier who's let me down... it's no way to treat a child. You didn't know any better.”

Cass removes her socks and rolls up her leggings.

“So, Cassandra, you see, I – hmm.” He clears his throat, looking a little pained. “I want to try again. I want to do _right_ by you this time. Because you matter more to me than-”

“Oh, _Christ_!”

“-anything... else.”

She chose the wrong moment to plunge her feet into the water below.

Silence falls over them, and Cass can feel he's clammed up beside her. Her outburst was far from the answer he'd been expecting, clearly – and how can she fault him for that? _Idiot_.

Awkwardly, she leans against his arm, resting her head just below the top of his shoulder.

“Sorry. I... I don't know what to say. I never really know what to say to you, Dad.”

He stares out at the light on the lake pensively.

“I wish we could have talked about this sooner, though,” she continues, hands clasping together as she searches her tongue for the right words to say next. “...You know, I had a dream last night. You promoted me to captain of the guard.”

“You've never formally been on the guard, I couldn't just promote you to captain out of the blue,” he says distantly.

“Right. My subconscious forgot to cross-check with Corona Law.” Cass huffs out a mirthless laugh. “It feels absurd now, that I could ever _be_ on the guard while you were calling the shots, but I used to dream like that all the time. So eager to prove myself worthy of the position.”

“You weren't ready,” he insists, but his resolve is fragmented at this point.

“I _was_. You really still believe that?”

At this point, Cass firmly believes that it's the biting cold of the water forcing these words to the surface, squeezing them out along with the air from her lungs. Candid conversations with her father about their turbulent relationship are about as common as solar eclipses. Speaking the truth runs the risk of him growing cold to her, and that would make this fishing trip – the final stop before her big step out into the world, her own woman at last – unbearably tragic.

“...I don't know why I did it,” he admits, so quiet she barely hears at first, over the excited chirping of the birds in the trees surrounding, as golden sunlight hits the water at last. “Any answer I give won't satisfy you, I know.”

Cass swallows and nods, staring at how broken her toes look under the water's surface. They quiver and churn and don't look quite real.

“But you should know,” exclaims her father, compelled to justify himself, “upon your return, I... I was going to offer you the chance to try out for the guard. I almost wrote a letter at the time, but I didn't even know where to send it.”

Maybe that's the most heartbreaking thing she's heard, that maybe if she had just _waited_ – but damn, she's never fucking waiting for something like this, not ever again. It pangs like a stab wound, or broken ribs, but one day it won't matter. She hopes.

“What's done is done,” Cass sighs. She shuts her eyes, lets the warmth of the sunlight wash over her. “I hope you'll write me on the road this time, at least.”

“Of course. I hope you'll write me too.”

“You know, I would have made the finest damn soldier on your guard. Corona couldn't have been in better hands. Could that be the real reason you retired?”

The snipe is weak, even childish, and Cass almost expects him to scowl or to give some gruff response like, “No need for the cheek, Cassandra”. (Or worse, a choked response about bad parenting that will only lead to more awkwardness.)

To her pleasant surprise, his face turns to meet hers and his lips pull into a smirk.

“Well, I certainly couldn't go on knowing I had compromised Corona's safety. Neglecting to appoint a guard due to personal feelings goes against everything a good captain does, after all.”

He reaches an arm around, pulling her into a side hug, and she feels... _light_.

Nothing is perfect. There's still so much to work through, she knows that, but... they're both tired, and her feet are growing numb. Enough is enough for now.

So with a tilt of her head, Cass pipes up, “So. Is it too early to catch our next meal?”


	4. moonsandra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are black rocks everywhere – seeping from the walls, growing upwards from the floor like untameable roots, reaching out to her. They follow her everywhere, follow her anger, her heartbreak. It's almost poetic – something she would read about in Saporian literature that would linger in her mind for days, an echolalia in her head as she sewed Rapunzel's dresses and swept the floors.
> 
> “Why,” she asks to the empty room, “did it turn out like this?”
> 
> The moonstone is power, it fills the gaping hole in her heart with white-hot anger that won't stop spilling out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> day 4: moonsandra. god, i really struggled with this one. for some reason, i just wasn't in the right headspace to write some big piece about cass and zhan tiri and the moonstone and destinies and shit so it just turned into... cass being needy and alone? like all my other fics??? oh well. they say write what you know, after all.  
> today's ficlet is brought to you by the song 'royal screw up' by soccer mommy. or as i like to call it: the anthem of cass going down her dark path.

The moonstone is power, it is glory, it is freedom dragging Cassandra from the soil of her former life, holding her high above, showing her what life could be like.

It is delicious, mouth-watering destiny that gives her disappointment a home, gives her anguish an outlet, gives her courage a spotlight.

It feels fucking _fantastic_.

“I'm crossing the line – and I'm done holding back,” Cass cries, her back to Rapunzel. It's everything she ever wanted. At her command, black rocks sprout from the ground, the architecture of her mind breaking through – beyond all she believed herself capable of.

“I'm taking what's mine,” she calls, in case they don't believe her. She can feel Rapunzel's desperate gaze on her, hears her footsteps as she aches to catch up. If Rapunzel wanted to constrain her she could certainly try – but if so much as a single golden hair touches her, Cass won't hesitate to force her back. The footsteps are lonely and echoing, her breathing ragged as she fights to shorten the distance between the two of them.

Rapunzel is the only one still trying to stop her.

Fine then. Fuck them all. Cass won't break her resolve now.

The moonstone is power, it is wonder, it is comfort when she is alone in the world, it is company when no one follows. They might have needed her to start with, but she has long since lost her need for _them_.

“If I'm burning a bridge,” she shouts – screams – just so they know; just so she can't take it back, “let it burn!”

Cassandra watches them a short while later, sailing away in their new balloon that looks suspiciously Saporian. And though the euphoria of the moonstone thrumming through her body is still present, there is something terrifying about being left there alone. Is it selfish that she wanted them to fight a little harder?

“Fuck them,” she whispers, to nobody in particular. “I don't need them. Not anymore.”

It's just the two of them now. Cassandra and the moonstone, versus the world.

…

The moonstone is power, it is restless energy pulsing through her, charging her body like a forge full of flames.

Nights are hard. At least in the day she understands the rhythm of the sun. At night she lies awake, staring up at the moon and trying to count every crevice visible from Earth, all while a foreign entity thrums like a second heartbeat in her chest.

She never expected it would function like its own ecosystem, sheltering her needs until she hardly felt anything at all. She barely remembers hunger pangs, or the heaviness of sleep fogging her mind. Thirst is a distant memory. With the changes to her body her muscle mass is starting to disappear, but who needs muscles when she has her own live-in generator?

The moonstone is power, but it is also an anchor that tethers her to the planes of the world when all she wants to do sometimes is shut her eyes and let the dreams seize her. Would her restless mind run rampant, cooking up violent, anxiety-ridden nightmares? Would all the dark, terrified thoughts that plague her rise to the surface without the inhibition of her conscious mind?

Would Cassandra dream of the taciturn dissatisfaction of her life before, when she went from one day to the next dragging her heels, wondering if one of these days she just wouldn't wake up at all, and how easily the world would keep turning without her?

Still, she fights through the noise to get to a place where it all fades away.

Unsurprisingly, the one time she finally tricks her body into sleeping, she is haunted by Rapunzel instead. Her inquisitive eyes, the almost-kisses they've shared in quiet moments, the laughter – the shock and fear as Cass reaches out and takes the moonstone for herself – takes anything for herself, for the first time in so long – the terror and disappointment and grief as Cass brings the sword down on the bridge, severing their ties...

She wakes up in a cold sweat. The moonstone pulses, its magic like a heartbeat – and she rests her head back, watching the moon as it creeps behind the wisp of a cloud.

…

The moonstone is power, it is a target painted on her back, it is a weapon to be feared and a death sentence to hold.

Cassandra can feel the ghosts of amber on her arms as she enters the throne room, clinging as though she had walked through a cobweb. There are black rocks everywhere – seeping from the walls, growing upwards from the floor like untameable roots, reaching out to her. They follow her everywhere, follow her anger, her heartbreak. It's almost poetic – something she would read about in Saporian literature that would linger in her mind for days, an echolalia in her head as she sewed Rapunzel's dresses and swept the floors.

If she has it her way, the floors of this kingdom will never be clean again. She's happy to let it crumble and fall and get swallowed up by the rocks and the earth, until nothing is left but black rocks poking out from a carpet of overgrown rubble.

God, it makes her so fucking mad.

Cass really thought – she'd really kidded herself – that Rapunzel wouldn't hurt her anymore. That things could be different, that things could change for the better! What a joke!! Zhan Tiri, for all of her malice and manipulation, had been right, which only makes her feel like a bigger fool after the fact. How had she believed things would right themselves if she only worked hard to make amends? Wasn't that the story of her whole pathetic fucking life?

These turbulent feelings bring forth more rocks, splintering out from the elevated platforms where the thrones stand proudly. No one deserves to sit there anymore. This whole fucking kingdom is one big joke, and she was the fool in the stocks, being jeered at, fired at.

“Why,” she asks to the empty room, “did it turn out like this?”

The moonstone is power, it fills the gaping hole in her heart with white-hot anger that won't stop spilling out.

She screams, and with it a spike shoots upwards with such ferocity that it pierces the queen's throne and carries it from the ground until It hangs limply – a dead weight. Only one remains standing.

Did she do this? Did she send things into a hurtling downwards spiral the first time she did something for herself? Did Corona have to fall for her to rise?

Tears prick at her eyes – but whether from anger, grief or something entirely different, she doesn't know. The eclipse is coming, that much she understands. Her destiny is within reach, but if she dies trying for it... maybe that wouldn't be so terrible either.

Cassandra trudges towards the last standing throne, feet dragging as though in shackles. For all its glory, it really is just a chair. And her legs are weary from all the running, all the fighting, the wandering dark corridors screaming her frustrations to the empty walls.

Staring out at the empty throne room with a heart fuelled by an endless supply of contempt for Corona, she lowers herself onto the throne.

The moonstone is power, and she answers to no one.


	5. happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She knows she can't stay here forever; along with the countdown until her expected return there's the risk of sunburn, and wouldn't that be an unsightly way to greet Raps after all this time? But still – just for a little while, with the sun on her face, warming her through and through, this is happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun with this one!! Happiness is something Cass could do with a boatload more of. I want to bury her in it. 'Happiness' by Orson was a good one to listen to while writing it.

Happiness can be so many things, depending on who you ask. For Cassandra, it has changed over time.

It started with watching the sparks fly in Xavier's forge, it was crouching with her ear pressed against the door listening to her father talk about guard formation, it was sitting cross-legged on her bed drawing map after map of the castle, perfecting her cartography and wondering about what would come next. It was learning how to ride a horse, getting an extra toffee apple from Uncle Monty “just for being such a loyal customer”, it was the rare times she was invited to drink tea with the queen who watched her fondly, like maybe she would her own daughter some day.

Then as she grew older it was admiring her father's second-in-command, a tall butch nearing retirement, scribbling her feelings in letters that would never be sent, asking for the woman to help Cass with her form while she sparred. It was wishing she was grown up already so she could be as cool, as confident, as trusted. It was mastering weaponry, polishing the armour of the guard with her dad on rainy afternoon when training was cancelled, listening to his stories and wondering if she'd ever have some of her own one day, where she could be the hero and someone else would be listening with bated breath.

Happiness turned into something new entirely when she met Rapunzel.

Happiness was watching her kick ass. It was blackberry buns and friendship bracelets and learning to swim. It was long days at the lagoon, early mornings treading water, afternoons on the shores drying in the sun, late evenings sneaking in a quick sparring practice before picking their way back to the castle in time for Rapunzel's supper with her parents. It was opening herself up to someone who liked her for all the things she was told to conceal. It was warm eyes and soft hair and almost-kissable lips, begging her not to go.

Then... there wasn't really a whole lot. Did happiness come from the moonstone? Perhaps Cass found _some_ misguided happiness from being taken seriously for once in her life. Maybe it did feel good just to let all her feelings fly, but between the continuous heartbreaks, the betrayals, and all the destruction left in her wake? Not so much.

Well. No use thinking about that now.

On her way back to Corona for the first time since she left for her journey, Cass stops by the lagoon. It feels a little weird, visiting without Rapunzel, almost like she shouldn't be here at all. It's never been hers alone – and so to be here alone is a surreal experience in itself. Well, if she can even call it a lone journey considering that Fidella and Owl have joined her.

Fidella is happy to stand in the shallows to keep cool while Owl stretches his wings, circling the skies above. Cass sits for a while, just basking in the sun. There's an almost dry heat, unusual for May, that bakes the lagoon slowly. Rolling waves of heat shimmer just above the water's surface, and she watches how the light dances. She doesn't have much time to kill before heading off if she wants to make it back to the kingdom in time, but... there's something missing. Something she feels she can't return without.

See, happiness is Rapunzel, in a strange sort of way. For all of the grief they've shared, the anger they've hurled at each other, Cass loves her. So much. Likewise, Rapunzel loves her back. Seeing her for the first time since her journey began will be... nerve-wracking to say the least. The letters they've exchanged while on the road have been tentative, neither one of them quite sure how to express their feelings through the coldness of pen and paper. Sure, they're more than friends now, and they and all their friends know that, but for what its worth they haven't really spent time _together_ yet. Cass wants to do something; something strong, something meaningful, to make up for the distance.

So she goes swimming for stones.

The water is cool, a shock to her system after travelling in such warm, dry weather. Fidella watches her in amusement as she dives to the bottom, reaching for stones, bringing them to the surface in handfuls to examine the ones that will look just right for her gift. Happiness is moments like these, where nothing and no one in the world is keeping her from pursuing her goal. Happiness is what comes after too, floating on the surface in a starfish formation with the rocks piled safely on the shore, warmth beating down on her. She knows she can't stay here forever; along with the countdown until her expected return there's the risk of sunburn, and wouldn't that be an unsightly way to greet Raps after all this time? But still – just for a little while, with the sun on her face, warming her through and through, this is happiness.

…

Sometimes happiness takes a village – or in this case, a kingdom. Case in point, the whole of Corona is buzzing with anticipation for Rapunzel's birthday banquet tonight.

Cass has kept the plan of her return a secret to Rapunzel these last few weeks, at the request of Eugene – something that surprised her initially. She supposes at this point, after all the three of them have been through, it shouldn't be surprising that he wants her to be equally present in Rapunzel's life. Still, the gesture was oddly touching to her. What would that feeling be? Could happiness be acknowledgement, too?

Once he smuggles her into the throne room, grin wide as he pokes fun at her new smattering of facial scars from life on the road, Cass is soon put to work. First comes the arrangement of the purple and gold balloons, the hanging of the banner, organisation of the gift piles. Then the entertainment is set up – a small, bare bones string quartet hold a short rehearsal that further invigorates the staff and guests. Cass then has her ear talked off by Kiera and Catalina, both enamoured by her new collection of battle scars, while they assist with the flower arrangements. Finally, after every table has been laid and the majority of staff have cleared out to take a brief rest before the celebration commences, a paper lantern is pressed into Cassandra's hands.

She looks up, and to her surprise, it is Queen Arianna handing her the lantern, with a warm smile she most often reserves for her own daughter.

“My Queen,” Cass says hurriedly, bowing her head in greeting.

“Cassandra,” she says, in a saccharine-sweet tone. “It's wonderful to have you back. Eugene did let me know of your secret arrangement, so I was hoping to say hello before the festivities begin.”

“It's good to be back. And I wouldn't miss Rapunzel's birthday for anything. Even after... all that I did, I hope it's all right that I came back.”

“The King still has some reservations,” Arianna muses, taking her own lantern in her hands. She takes a prepared letter from her robe pocket and rolls it up, securing it with a rich purple ribbon before slipping it inside the lantern. “But he isn't the most... adept to change. He will come around. And both Rapunzel and I see no problem with you returning. Corona will be your home for as long as you see it that way, and I can't think of a worse thing to do than turn you away from your home.”

Warmth blooms in Cassandra's chest, and she nods quickly, looking away. It's not easy, letting herself talk normally to the people around her who still remember the rampage she led this time last year. But she _isn't_ that person anymore. And to say that is more than just donning new scars and wearing new clothes. She doesn't spit fire at the drop of a hat anymore. She doesn't push people away. Everything is a conscious effort, of course, but just by doing so she knows she's moved past being the broken soul she was before.

“I can't wait to see her,” sighs Cass. “We've been in touch, but she's so much more in person.”

Arianna cracks a smile. “She'll be over the moon to see you too. Although Rapunzel tries not to show it, I can tell she's been sorely disappointed at the very notion that she might spend her birthday without you here to celebrate it with her.”

Cass blushes to her roots, but tries her best to keep her face unreadable. Still, it must be fairly obvious. Sometimes happiness is just knowing that Rapunzel misses her, thinks about her, wishes for her to appear.

“I had... hoped to visit for her birthday, but it's Eugene who actually reached out to me and convinced me to return.”

“Well, he wants what's best for Rapunzel,” Arianna says sagely, “and I can't imagine anyone she would want at her side more than the two of you.”

Now Cass knows her blush is unmistakable.

“Has Rapunzel... talked to you about how we left things?” she dares to ask, already feeling a little dizzy from the high stakes of this conversation.

“She has. And... it was me who told her that only she could decide what kind of queen she would one day become, and it's something I stand by. The company she keeps, and the nature of the relationships, are things that the three of you will have to talk about more publicly some day. For now, however, I'll just offer my congratulations, and my blessing.” Her eyes twinkle, and in this moment Cass feels _seen_ , in a way she's just not used to.

“Thank you,” she whispers, mouth dry.

“From what I've seen, I think the three of you bring out the best in each other, and that's a remarkable quality for a relationship to have. A kingdom needs strong foundations to run smoothly, after all.”

“I, um... I want to do right by her,” Cass says quietly, hugging her lantern to her chest. “I wasn't in a good place before, but finding my own way in the world has changed me for the better, and it's something I don't think I could have done without Rapunzel. So, I want to be there for her too.”

“As long as you're happy, Cassandra,” Arianna says simply, a beaming smile on her face. After a pause, she adds, “And are you? Happy, I mean?”

Cass, with a grin of her own, nods.

“I – yes. I am.”

“Well then,” Arianna continues, sunny as ever, “I am overjoyed for you, my dear. I only hope you channel some of that happiness into your lantern message.”

She is soon called away to give her opinion on the royal table's flower arrangement, and Cass stares at her blank lantern, unsure of where to start. She's never been great at decorating, so it won't be pretty. As a kid she used to write some incomprehensible nonsense about how it was her dream to rescue the lost princess herself, but... well, that dream hadn't quite panned out like she'd pictured growing up.

In the end, she just writes from her heart.

_I love you, Raps. And for as long as the sun shines, I will never stop._

It's short, it's just sappy enough without being overkill, and it's all hers.

Cassandra sets it to one side, and then Varian bursts into the room, shouting, “Everyone get down and dim the lights, she'll be here any minute!”

Eugene waves her over to join him and Lance, who are waiting right by the heavy doors with grins a mile wide, and Cass heads over with a spring in her step. She sticks a hand in her pocket, feeling her present inside – two bracelets, threaded with great difficulty on her part, to replace the one that had been destroyed all those years ago.

“You ready?” Eugene asks, all smiles as she crouches down at his side.

Happiness is knowing that any moment, she will walk through that door.


	6. fight/battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, if she does end up dying tomorrow, at least she can do so knowing she tried her hardest to help this town. And, a thought equally as comforting, she can accept dying as long as Raps knows she loves her.  
> All that's left to do now is shut her eyes and wait for sleep to take hold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for death mention at the start!! not to mention some mention of injuries too!!  
> every time i write these they accidentally get longer...  
> day 6 'fight/battle' was an interesting one. i only intended for it to be the final scene with cassunzel but oops, the idea got away from me. oh well. song of the day is 'cerise dream' by temple of angels, for no real reason except it's a good song to write to.

Cassandra tries not to worry Rapunzel too much.

If she had it her way, Rapunzel would never have to know about a single dangerous situation she ends up in, whether its by accident or diving in with both feet. Unfortunately scars are telling, and if Cass doesn't give her an honest play-by-play Rapunzel will be up til the early hours in agonies over the dangerous life she is living out on the road. So, like a good girlfriend should, Cass measures the kind of exploits she should tell Rapunzel about in her letters with whether or not she has sustained injury. Anything more serious than a scratch and she'll tactfully leave it a secret until the next time she's within the palace walls.

So when she runs into Vex on the road a few miles north of Vardaros, she figures this will just be another one of those events that she'll paraphrase in a strait-laced letter to Raps. Perhaps she will share some good-natured sparring with the townsfolk, pal around with Vex, taste-test some fresh honey from Quaid; all the fun, low-stakes stuff. She only intends on stopping over in Vardaros to stock up on supplies and take it from there – but upon her and Vex arriving back at the sheriff's office, she's met with the sight of three men hanging from the bridge overhead, being fished down by stricken townspeople simply wanting to remove the sight lest it scare away travelling patrons.

“Raiders,” Quaid says solemnly from behind her, as Cass watches on in muted horror. Vex strides ahead, avoiding looking at the sight altogether. “We chased a group of them out of town two weeks ago. Yesterday they struck again, so I sent a trio of our new town guard to scope out their base. And, well... it looks like they wanted to send a message home this time.”

Cass feels sick to her stomach. She's no stranger to how fucked up the world can be, especially since striking out on her own, but this is something she can't simply stand by and watch.

“What's your next move, Captain?” she asks quietly, following him towards the sheriff's office. From somewhere beyond her line of sight, she hears a man crying as his husband's body is lifted down.

“We fight, of course,” he says gravely. He takes a seat at his desk and mops his brow tiredly. “But with three of our men down, I'm not sure how well we'll fare in the fight. Our town guard is small as it is, and those raiders are ruthless. But the people of Vardaros _don't_ back down. Not anymore.”

“I... I could write back to Corona,” Cass says quickly, grasping at straws for a way to aid the situation. “The guard there is huge, I'm sure Eugene wouldn't mind deploying a dozen or so soldiers to assist...”

“Wow. And here I was, thinking you were the only one of your friends that understood how things work here,” Vex snorts, as the front door slams shut behind her. She stalks past Cassandra, leaning back against the wall with a deep scowl.

Quaid shakes his head and smiles wanly at her suggestion. “I don't need to tell _you_ of all people that Corona to Vardaros is at least a four day journey on horseback. We have no time to waste. The next time they come knocking, we have to be prepared to fight, no matter the cost.”

“Then I'll fight.” Owl hoots nervously on her shoulder, and Fidella, though resting just outside, looks equally perturbed by the notion of sticking around. “Captain, I have been training for my whole life. Whatever these raiders have planned, I can at least help even the score.”

He watches her with narrowed, haunted eyes. “Your life will be at risk. This is no game, Cassandra.”

“Of course it isn't! People are being killed, Captain, you can't seriously expect that I would sit back and watch this happen?”

“I only insist that you understand what you're getting yourself into, Cassandra.” He folds his arms, regarding her in silence for several dragging seconds, all while Vex mutters some choice expletives under her breath. “If you understand that and still wish to fight alongside us... I would be more grateful than you'll ever know.”

“I'll do it,” Cass promises. “You can count on me.”

…

Things move quickly after that. Vex gathers the townsfolk in the square to rally the locals into fighting for what's right. The people of Vardaros, beyond infuriated by the hangings that morning, are already fired up and ready to fight. For her part, Cass runs through basic drills – calling for everyone to bring forth their weaponry, teaching basic attack stances, offensive and defensive manoeuvres, everything she thinks she can squeeze into an afternoon. The idea that she is potentially sending these people to their deaths depending on how well she's taught them is nothing short of terrifying; but Quaid seems relieved at her assistance, and takes the valuable time to discuss strategy with his remaining guard.

They will defend Vardaros at any cost. They surrender to nobody. And Cass can't help thinking, despite her willingness to fight alongside them, that this mindset coupled with the minimal planning and inexperienced fighters is how entire civilisations get wiped off the map.

That night, while the townspeople grab a few precious hours of sleep, uncertain of when exactly the raiders are planning on striking next, Cass finds herself restless. Despite Vex and Quaid's dual pessimism, she finds herself reaching into her satchel for a pen and paper anyway.

_Hey Raps,_

_It's funny that I should write to you now, when I never like to worry you on my journey. But Vardaros is in trouble, and I think that if you wake Eugene as soon as you get this, send out a dozen or so men as soon as you can, you might just be able to help. The town is being threatened by raiders, and it's bad. I'm going to fight with them, but I don't know that we'll prevail. Not to be an alarmist, but please, send some assistance. I really think we'll need it._

_Captain Quaid believes that Vardaros is beyond outside help, but all I've been able to think about today is something my father once said to me: 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' Well, here I am, trying to do SOMETHING. I only hope that it's enough._

_I love you, and I don't want these people to die. I'll write again soon._

_Sincerely yours, Cassandra._

“Owl,” she murmurs, so not to wake Vex, lightly snoring against her shoulder. Owl looks up, eyes blinking rapidly. “I need you to get this to Corona as fast as you can. You know how important this is.”

She binds the letter and hands it over, and Owl bows his head a little, meeting her gaze. There's an unspoken feeling there – _be safe, don't you dare get yourself killed_ – and then with a quiet hoot he launches himself from her arm, making his exit through a window pane missing its glass. She watches him until he leaves her sight and then exhales.

Well, if she does end up dying tomorrow, at least she can do so knowing she tried her hardest to help this town. And, a thought equally as comforting, she can accept dying as long as Raps knows she loves her.

All that's left to do now is shut her eyes and wait for sleep to take hold.

…

A lot of things happen that day, in the battle that historical records will one day refer to as The Great Strike Back of Vardaros. Nearly three hundred people lose their lives. Most of them, in a twist of events, happen to be the raiders.

The landslide victory comes without the help of any outside soldiers, save for one brave drifter who, despite the dismissal of the the captain, sent out a pleading message to the nearby kingdom of Corona the night before, begging for reinforcements. It doesn't bring any soldiers in time to assist in the fight; however, they turn up in spades to help the clean-up operation and bury the dead, all in awe at how well a small, untrained town of people could hold its own just out of sheer spite towards the enemy.

In Cassandra's case, the majority of this information is learned days later – when she awakens, weak and confused, in a dimly lit room that she soon comes to realise is one of the town's makeshift hospitals for casualties of the battle.

It takes a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to her surroundings, but when she finally tilts her head to the left hand side of her Cassandra spots a petite figure slumped back in a chair beside her, chest rising and falling as she dreams.

Rapunzel.

Cass lies there in stunned silence, unable to peel her eyes away from the sight of her girlfriend dozing beside her. It's almost enough to distract from the pain she's in, but as she grows more and more alert it's glaringly clear to her that something _bad_ happened.

“Cass, you're awake!” Vex bounds over to her bed and Rapunzel snorts a little at the noise, eyes blinking sleepily, opening and closing a few times before ultimately closing again, losing their battle with the tiredness plaguing her head. The relief on Vex's face only makes it more obvious to Cass that the injury must have been pretty damn awful. “God, I – shit, it's good to see you're awake. How's your wound?”

“I... hmm. It hurts,” she grits out. “I, uh, don't really remember anything.”

“Yeah, I bet. You, uh, got hit over the head pretty hard in the fight. And, er... got yourself impaled on the way down.”

“Well, fuck.” Cass doesn't really know what else she's supposed to say to that. Now that Vex mentions it, she does remember the searing pain from the blow to the head. She's just grateful she was too out of it from the blunt force trauma alone to feel the impalement. “God. How'd I make it out of _that_ one alive?”

“Quaid said you're just someone who isn't ready to die yet,” Vex says with a shrug. “Sounds like a total cop-out to me, but you're alive, so who cares how?”

“Seriously, Vex, I should probably be dead right now.”

“Then shut up and just be thankful that you're not.” Vex's eyes narrow, her patience for Cassandra's bewilderment waning already. “We patched your abdomen wound up fine, and we gave you some stitches on the back of your head too. That was like two days ago, though.”

Cass blanches. “Shit. Two days?” She glances over to Rapunzel, who is only just starting to wake up properly. “And when did Raps get here?”

“Few hours after the battle was over. She came in this huge balloon thing, you wouldn't believe it. She said the captain had to stay back to watch over Corona but she still brought like, eight guards with her in the balloon to help us treat the injured. Rapunzel barely left your side once she found your bed, though.” A sly smile creeps up on her. “Must be nice, having your girlfriend come to watch over you.”

“Can it, you.” Cass can barely keep her eyes off of Rapunzel, though, as she yawns and stretches. “Raps?”

“Mhmm... Vex?”

“That wasn't me,” Vex says flatly. With that, Rapunzel's eyes snap open and she whirls around to see Cass.

“CASS!! Oh my gosh, Cassandra!”

Before Cass even has a chance to try to sit up Rapunzel leaps from her seat, tackling her with such a force that it sends a spike of pain through her stomach, in what she guesses is the sensation of her wound being jostled. Raps squeezes her tight, rocking a little. Next come the kisses, peppered all over her face as she laughs weakly in protest. Vex makes an exaggerated puking sound effect, and Cass waves her off with a roll of her eyes. But as Rapunzel goes back to hugging her, resting her head against the crook of Cassandra's neck, she feels her body begin to tremble.

“Hey,” murmurs Cass, reaching up to rub Rapunzel's back in a soothing motion. “Hey, come on, it's all right.”

Rapunzel shakes her head, and her voice is wet when she speaks. “It's _not_ all right! Cass, you could have died! You've barely been conscious for two days, my god!”

“Raps...” Cass gently steers her back by the shoulders and Rapunzel watches her, large eyes brimming over with tears. Reaching up, Cass thumbs them away and tries to smile in a way that will convince Rapunzel that she really is okay. “I'm all right now, really. Sure, my head is a little sore and I'll need to take it easy until my wound heals up, but look. I'm here with you now.”

Rapunzel sniffles and moves back, nodding. She pulls her chair right up close to the bed before sitting down again, reaching over to take Cassandra's hand in her own and turning to Vex.

“Vex. Would you mind, um... giving us a moment?”

“Oh, no problem, I was feeling queasy anyway,” she drawls. Despite her tone, Vex flashes them a small smile and nod before leaving to check on a man four beds to Cassandra's right. Cass exhales and squeezes Rapunzel's hand, pushing herself upright into a semi-sitting position. It's painful on her torso, but she just feels dizzier trying to hold this conversation lying down.

“I'm sorry for worrying you. I... I didn't think you would come, though. I only meant that we needed back-up out here.”

“I didn't come on official business, Cass,” Rapunzel begins, reaching up to wipe at her eyes again. “I mean, I came to help, of course, but – but god, Cass, how could you send that to me and not expect me to freak out?!”

“Uh.” Cass chews her lip. “I don't know. I hoped you'd overlook the part about me being there and just, uh, focus on the part about rallying the troops.”

Rapunzel sighs loudly, eyes still shining with tears, and Cass feels her stomach drop. Geez, Raps is still mad.

“Cassandra,” Rapunzel says slowly, as if to spell it out for her, “you wrote that you desperately needed reinforcements. You wrote that you were going to fight, but you weren't confident that you would win. And you actually wrote the words 'I love you'. In ink. In a letter that you _knew_ I would be showing other people.”

Cass nods just as slowly.

“...Cass, it sounded like a goodbye! Don't you think? How did you expect me to – to just stay put, in Corona, knowing you were here and you might be dying?!”

“I said I'd write again soon,” Cass protests, but it's a weak defence and she knows it. “That part was supposed to be reassuring. I didn't want you to _worry_ , but-”

“But you don't get to decide for me if I should be worried, Cass! We are in _love_ , and if you think for one moment that I wouldn't come to you if I had even an inkling that you could be hurt...!”

“I know,” croaks Cass. “I know, Raps, shit. I know. I'm – I'm sorry.”

Now it's her turn to well up. She looks away, reaching up to wipe at her eyes, trying to make it look like she's fiddling with her hair. Rapunzel lets her keep her pride.

“I didn't come all this way to yell,” Rapunzel promises. “...Well, all right, I did a tiny bit. Cass, I know I can't tell you to stop doing this, I just want you to be careful.”

“I am careful, Raps, but these people were in trouble. Do you think I should have stayed out of it?”

“No,” sighs Rapunzel, shoulders slumped in defeat. “Of course not. Even if I did it's not your way of doing things, I know that. I would have done the same. It doesn't stop me from wishing you would value your life a little more, though.”

“I swear to you, I don't plan on getting myself killed when I get into fights like this,” Cass emphasises, reaching up to cup Rapunzel's cheek. “I'm sorry for scaring you.”

She leans forward and, with Rapunzel's eyes flickering to her lips receptively, kisses her softly. Rapunzel returns the enthusiasm and Cass realises, in a real moment of panic, that she might never have kissed Rapunzel again.

“I'm so glad you're okay,” Rapunzel whispers, before kissing Cass again. “I love you so much.”

“I'm really sorry,” Cassandra utters, trembling as Rapunzel pulls her in close. “And I love you too, Raps.”


	7. finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This... this should be a happy day for us, Cass! The start of something new!”  
> “You're right. Raps, this is a happy day. And – and I mean it, Rapunzel, I am so happy for you both. My best friends get to be happy together forever. Why wouldn't I be?”  
> She stands up quickly and holds her hand out, pulling Rapunzel to her feet. Rapunzel stares at her for a heartbeat, face clouded with some emotion too tumultuous to unpack in this moment, before reaching over and wiping a tear away as it spills over from Cass's eyes.  
> “I know you are.” Her face softens into a smile. “Hey, dance with me? Please?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy crap i did it!!!! i actually completed a theme week for once!!! this basically never happens i guess being a cass stan has really given me some drive to complete it huh  
> so this is.... super long. and super sappy. god damn it. im losing my mind. unknighted dream is great but here is my disclaimer here, in case it isn't clear enough: cass and eugene are PLATONIC. cassandra is a LESBIAN they just happen to love the same girl and i take no more criticisms on that  
> 'dive' by beach house is a chill, cassunzel-y bop about miscommunications which felt topical to this chapter and so, it is what i wrote to tonight. with that in mind... please enjoy this final instalment, the theme being 'finale'!

How is one supposed to feel, showing up at their girlfriend's wedding to somebody else?

Cassandra has been through the whole spectrum of emotions in the run up to it all. There's been joy, of course, and in abundance – these are her best friends, taking that next important step in their lives. While she... takes her own next step. Alone.

She has poured over detailed illustrations Rapunzel sent her in letters of the various wedding patterns she's considered. It's amazing how much input Cass has had in the whole thing, considering it isn't even her wedding, especially when also factoring in the distance between them. She's helped pick out the flavour of punch while hunched over a campfire on a cold night; she's backed up Rapunzel's desire to forego shoes, even in the royal cathedral, in her underthings while her clothes hung up to dry after she got caught in a flash flood.

Half the time it doesn't feel like her place, and she withholds her opinion. Or she'll write back something along the lines of 'you should ask your future husband, not me'. But then Rapunzel counters that with 'well, you're like my future wife, so your opinion is equally important'. And... well, that just leads to other emotions that are even harder for her to deal with.

The flip side of the coin is the disappointment she feels, knowing that Rapunzel can only marry one person and Eugene is the clear winner, in both the royal family's favour and the court of public opinion. After all, who would come to a wedding where the princess marries the very person that nearly _destroyed_ the kingdom? Cassandra can't fault Rapunzel for making the choice to marry Eugene; he was in Rapunzel's life first, he's begrudgingly grown on the people of Corona despite his shady past, and during the mess that _she_ caused he stepped up and took responsibility. He loves her. He'll do anything for her.

She's happy for them, really. But the whole situation still feeds back into this complex she's worked so hard to overcome these last couple years. Marriage just a... a ceremony, a piece of paper, a legal contract. A wedding is a big, over-dramatic party that she would never in a million years want to take part in _anyway_. And hasn't she always told herself, since she was an angry little kid rolling her eyes at the Day of Hearts' puppet show, that romance, matrimony, all that bullshit, is something she's never wanted for herself?

It's petty, plain and simple, to have such a sting of jealousy at the idea of Rapunzel and Eugene marrying. They deserve their happy ending! More than anybody! Cass will just... have to figure out a way to be okay with that. Chasing destiny on the open road is her happy ending anyway, and that's no life for a... what would she even _be_? Princess consort? Duchess?

...Fine. She doesn't need a _title_ or status to be happy. So much of her identity has been clinging to words other people might use to describe her and it can only end if she wishes it so.

All the same – it would be nice, just for a day, if _she_ could be Rapunzel's bride.

…

Cass doesn't mean to show up late to the ceremony, although she's sure that Lance will slide up and make some comment at the reception anyway. Maybe she just didn't want to get up that morning. Maybe it's because she stayed up late last night, camping out at the lagoon, thinking about the vows they took all those years ago. After all, wasn't that modelled after a private wedding, between the two rulers who bound their kingdoms together? A marriage that is recognised in Corona's history books? By extension, aren't her and Rapunzel _already_ married, in their own way?

That should be enough.

By the time Fidella and Owl rouse her, their casual annoyance morphing into urgency as the sun rises higher in the sky, she already knows she won't make it on time. She won't even have time to change, after Rapunzel spent weeks pestering her for her clothing measurements to have an appropriate outfit tailored. Thankfully, Raps knows her well enough not to commission a dress.

Cass rides like she's never ridden before, determined to get there before the vows. What will Rapunzel and Eugene think of her if they look out to the pews and see she isn't there, after all she's done to convince them she's fine with it all? She promised herself, the moment she held the pale lilac wedding invitation in her hands six months prior, that she wouldn't ruin their big day for them. Even if she shows up with windswept hair and yesterday's travelling clothes on, she _has_ to be there, cheering them on.

With her and Fidella's combined determination they make the journey from the lagoon to the castle walls in record time. Standing at the gate, she purses her lips in annoyance as Stan and Pete, in a frustrating display of competence, ask for proof of ID and her invitation.

“Stan, Pete, this is ridiculous. You know me. You've known me since I was a kid.”

“Sorry, Cassandra,” Stan says sagely, as she begrudgingly hands over her Corona citizen identification card. “Rules are rules, and this is a big day for the princess.”

“Besides, we need to be on the lookout for shapeshifters,” Pete adds on, holding her invitation to the light to search for the subtly printed Corona emblem on the paper. “It's a recent thing we've been told to watch out for. A couple years ago there was an incident at the goodwill festival, see.”

“Pete, that was also me,” Cass says flatly.

“Never can be too careful,” he sighs, shaking his head. “Captain's orders and all. We good here, Stan?”

“Yup, everything looks legitimate. Welcome back to Corona, Cassandra!” Stan says, reverting back to his cheerful disposition.

“I am going to kill Eugene for this. Figuratively, of course.”

Stan motions for the gates to open, and as they do, a narrow stream of what looks to be wine rushes past Fidella's hooves. She moves aside slightly, snorting a little in confusion.

“Eww,” mutters Pete, exchanging a confused look with Stan before clearing his throat. “Well, you'd better hurry to the wedding if you don't want to miss the vows!”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Cass wrinkles her nose a little at the trail of wine leading across the bridge, eyes widening as it becomes apparent that there is much more where that came from. As the gates swing shut once again, Cass wonders to herself what the fuck they have just walked into.

The whole kingdom looks to be a mess. There are lanterns flying everywhere, and between them there are doves. Passing through the lower town, it looks like there's been some sort of roof collapse at the old tar works, and the stream of wine gradually becomes a shallow river. Fidella does her best to step around the mess, but it's nearly impossible; even the houses lining the street have been doused. At this rate, the reception will be an extremely sober affair.

Cass picks her way through the winding streets leading up to the palace, passing by a few torn up carts selling imitation merchandise of Rapunzel's wedding attire. She can't help but scoff at the broken shoe cart. _As if Raps would wear shoes, even to her own wedding._

The crowd, all dressed in their Sunday bests, look shaken to their cores when she finally reaches the courtyard. The tables that were laid out for the reception are overturned, there is soup everywhere, and no one knows quite what to do with themselves.

She approaches a guard, looking flustered as he tries to set a nearby table upright, and asks, “Uh, what happened here?”

“Some – some horse burst through in a frenzy,” he explains, shaking like a leaf. “It, uh, from a distance it kinda looked like Maximus.”

Cassandra's brow furrows. “Is everything okay?”

“There are no reports of a disturbance in the throne room,” the guard continues. “But as you can see, the decorations have all been tarnished.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Look, I won't keep you, I just need access to the throne room. I have an invitation here, signed by the princess...”

After an excruciating second ID check (she was seriously going to maim Eugene for introducing this ridiculous 'shapeshifter' check) Cass is granted access to the venue, and figuring it's probably best not to draw attention to her tardiness, she slips in through one of the side entrances, with its door propped open to let in some cool air on such a hot day.

Cass hops down from Fidella's back, scratching the side of her head affectionately as Owl swoops down to take her place. He hoots at her curiously.

“Yeah, I don't know what the fuck just went down either,” Cass whispers. “I'm sure we'll find out later. For now, let's just not make a scene?”

Fate has other plans, however. She makes it barely two steps past the doorway before almost being bowled over by a runaway eight-tier wedding cake.

“Woah!” she gasps, stepping out of the way just in time to avoid getting a face full of cake. She reaches around, gripping the sides of the trolley to try and keep it from rolling all the way outside. Fidella steps in to help, blocking the exit with her body, and Cass heaves a sigh of relief as the trolley grinds to a halt, the cake wobbling precariously for several painful seconds before stabilising. Owl hoots in victory and Cass exhales loudly.

“Oh thank god. That could have been a disaster.”

“...Hey, where's the cake?” a voice, unmistakably Eugene's, calls from beyond the edge of the corridor. Cass cringes. So much for quietly watching from the sidelines.

Steeling herself, she slips around the back of the trolley and with some effort, pushes it around the corner and into the throne room. There's an audible ripple of uncertainty through the pews, as the confused guests mutter to one another about why some windswept vagrant is wheeling out a cake that was already in position at the beginning of the ceremony. There's a hoot of laughter (definitely Lance) at Cassandra's dishevelled appearance, a sharp “is that _Cassandra_?” from three rows away (her dad's voice, for sure), and a few giggles she's guessing are coming from Kiera and Catalina's direction. She can't even bear to look at the king and queen.

Instead, she sees two figures in white. Eugene, looking proud as can be in his very expensive wedding garb that he bragged about to her in several letters... and Rapunzel, face framed by the soft lace veil behind her, looking so beautiful Cass could cry. Her surprise melts into pure glee, and if it weren't for the colossal cake in between, Cass knows Raps would be launching herself at her right then and there, present company be damned.

She passes Max and Pascal and almost chokes. That would explain the sorry state of the tar works' roof, at least. From somewhere behind, she hears Fidella stifle a snort of laughter.

“Well well well,” Eugene says, with a click of the tongue and a lopsided grin. “If it isn't our favourite little gatecrasher.”

It's his teasing, strangely enough, that helps her to find her voice in front of all these people. “Well geez, _somebody_ had to stop this cake from rolling down the hill.”

…

The wedding reception ends up being less of a party and more of a clean-up operation after Max and Pascal's prior mischief, but when the venue has been tidied up and the main courses have been served, Cass slips away right as the king stands up to give a tearful toast. If she times it right she can change into the outfit Rapunzel has had tailored for her and return before the speech is concluded, no problem.

At this point, her room is basically an empty shell with a bed and a wardrobe, so it takes no time to lay out her new outfit ready. Glancing around the empty husk of a room while she starts to undress, Cass wonders when exactly Corona stopped feeling like her home. Maybe about the time she realised it was the people, not the place, that she gravitated back to time and time again?

The new suit doesn't look all too different to Eugene's, minus his father's sash. It's white, with similar detailing, and even some of the same gold accents on the collar. Cass blanches a little the longer she stares at it. God, she's going to look like she's trying to steal his thunder. On his fucking wedding day.

“Why did I let you do this, Raps?” she groans. She can't deny once wearing it, however, that it makes her look _really good._

She stares at her reflection in the mirror on her closet door, trying for a smile. This whole situation feels bizarre, and she still can't stop thinking about how stunning Rapunzel looks in her wedding dress.

_I wish she was marrying me instead._

The admission, even inside her head, is enough to make her growl in frustration, slap her forehead.

“Enough,” she grits out. “You are going to go out there and be supportive and happy for them because this is their day and you love them so much. Enough throwing yourself a pity party, Cass.”

With nothing else to say to herself, she ties back her hair, shaggier from her foregoing a haircut in quite some time, neatly plaiting it and securing it with a short piece of string from her satchel. Pulling a pair of white gloves on to tie the whole outfit together, she glares at her reflection for a few seconds to compose herself before heading back towards the venue.

“Looking dapper, Cass,” Lance mutters in greeting as she slides up beside him, trying to pretend that she hadn't slipped out in the middle of the king's big speech. He glances over at Eugene, sat beside Rapunzel at the front table reserved for the royals, and then back to her again. “Tell me, which one of you is the groom again?”

“Don't you _dare_ draw anyone's attention to this, Lance. Raps has no idea how petty this makes me look to onlookers.”

He bursts out laughing, which quickly dissolves into a fake cough to deter the few people who turn to stare at him disapprovingly. “Haha, hmm. Uh, you know that was definitely intentional on her part, right? She wants you to feel included.”

“Included? I just feel like I'm third-wheeling a wedding.”

“Isn't that exactly what's happening?”

She groans quietly, before bursting into polite applause as the king embraces Rapunzel tightly and then raises his glass, before taking his seat. Edmund rises, and she can already see Eugene looking nervous at the weird shit he's about to start spouting to the unsuspecting audience.

“I came back here to support them, not to upstage Eugene at the after party.” She chews her lip. “Maybe I should change. D'you think I should change?”

“Look, Cass, Eugene knew about the matching suits ahead of time. If he had a problem with it he would have said something, believe me.” Lance grins and shakes his head. “I was just messing with you before about the third wheel stuff. You're their equal, don't you get that? This might as well be your day too.”

Cass pinches the bridge of her nose. “Don't say this stuff to me, Lance, or I'll seriously start feeling depressed. I need a drink. Is there any booze left, or is it all out on the street?”

“Unless they're planning on breaking out the communion wine, I think we're out of luck.”

“Damn it. Maybe I should just hide in the bathroom for the next six hours.”

As the toasts conclude, Rapunzel and Eugene are called to the dance floor for the first wedding dance. The orchestra rise as Arianna removes the train from Rapunzel's hair, and she and Eugene make their way to the centre of the venue with their hands clasped. Rapunzel's eyes search in the crowd as she walks, finally locking in on Cass as the conductor motions for the band to play.

“I love you,” Rapunzel mouths, and Cass weakly nods before losing Rapunzel's attention to the sweep of the music and the arms of her new husband.

…

“Cass!”

Rapunzel finds her on the steps, having put some distance between her and the rest of the party about an hour ago. After a couple hours of shit-talking bad dancers with Lance from the sidelines, catching up briefly with her father, and downing about a third of the punch bowl in an attempt to avoid conversations with people, Cassandra is all partied out.

Rapunzel's hair is mussed from hours of relentless dancing as she patters down the steps and flops down beside her, uncaring if the dust from foot traffic leaves a mark on the fabric.

“Hey, newlywed. You having a good time?”

“Of course! Oh, Cass, aren't the orchestra just wonderful? They play the classics, for my parents, but the upbeat stuff was a great surprise! When I'm queen, we'll dance like this at every function, mark my words!” The gleam in her eyes only brightens as she adds, “Besides... I keep stopping mid-step and thinking, I'm married now. I get to spend the rest of my life with Eugene. Isn't that just – just _wonderful_?”

“It is.” Cass offers her the warmest smile she can muster. “I'm so happy for you, Raps, really. You and Fitzherbert are going to have a great life.”

“All three of us are.” Rapunzel scoots closer and rests her head against Cassandra's shoulder. If only time could stop right now, Cass wishes silently, she wouldn't ask for anything ever again. “Cass, you are both my future. It's been so hard to find time to be with you today, and it's driving me crazy! You deserved to be up there with us today, you know?”

“But Corona law doesn't allow it,” Cass says softly, as if saying the words delicately will shelter her heart from fully feeling the weight of them. Rapunzel swallows and nods.

“Mhm. Yeah, it... it doesn't.”

She reaches for Cassandra's hands and squeezes them in her own. Cass can feel Rapunzel's wedding band dig slightly into her index finger, and tears spring to her eyes.

“Well,” she forces herself to say, “it's okay. If you had to marry either one of us, it _should_ be Eugene. He's the more stable presence in your life, after all. He can help you keep this place afloat, while I – while I'm off travelling.”

“Let's not talk about this,” Rapunzel whispers, a pleading tone creeping in. “This... this should be a happy day for us, Cass! The start of something new!”

“You're right. Raps, this _is_ a happy day. And – and I mean it, Rapunzel, I am so happy for you both. My best friends get to be happy together forever. Why wouldn't I be?”

She stands up quickly and holds her hand out, pulling Rapunzel to her feet. Rapunzel stares at her for a heartbeat, face clouded with some emotion too tumultuous to unpack in this moment, before reaching over and wiping a tear away as it spills over from Cass's eyes.

“I know you are.” Her face softens into a smile. “Hey, dance with me? Please?”

“I don't know, Raps...”

“Just one dance?” she asks, biting her lip. “I'm about ready to turn in, but... it wouldn't feel right if I didn't share at least one dance with the woman I love the most.”

“That's sweet of you. How will the man you love the most feel if I take the last dance?” Cass asks, quirking an eyebrow as Rapunzel begins tugging her up the steps by her wrist. “And your father, for that matter?”

“Oh, Eugene won't mind, silly,” Rapunzel laughs airily, marching them both towards the centre of the dance floor as other party-goers begin to stare. “And my father isn't dancing with you, I am.”

There are some whispers as they begin to dance slowly, stepping in time to a waltz; it's more of an open secret than anything, the way Rapunzel and Cassandra are with each other, but it still feels pretty brazen all the same. Cass is a bit rusty on her feet, having gone years since she last danced ballroom-style, but as she stares lovingly at Rapunzel's face, counting the smattering of freckles on her nose and seeing her own flustered face in Rapunzel's eyes, she realises it doesn't really matter. The steps are bullshit; everything is, except the hand clasped in hers and the other curled around the back of her neck.

Out of the corner of her eye Cass spies Lance, grin a mile wide, offering his hand out to Eugene. They start their own dance, a little clumsier, a little more comical than their own. Rapunzel giggles as they waltz past, Lance almost knocking into them as they spin.

“See? Eugene and Lance can make their own fun.”

Cass smiles back, exhaling slowly. There are still a few people watching with rapt interest: Queen Arianna, looking misty-eyed; Cassandra's father, fidgeting a little, his anxieties no doubt feeding off of the nervousness in Cass's own body language; a little girl she doesn't even know, clad in a waistcoat and pants, looking like she's seeing someone who mirrors herself for the first time. But as interest in their dance begins to wane, so do her fears.

“Dancing still isn't really my thing,” she confesses, as they begin to slow down. “It feels... awkward.”

“Oh.” Rapunzel pouts. “But, you know, gotta try everything once?”

“Of course. I can stand it if I'm with you.” She leans in to press a kiss to Rapunzel's forehead, but thinks better of it, leaning back again. “I, uh... yeah, it might be time for me to turn in, Raps.”

Rapunzel's smile fades a little in disappointment, but she nods. “Yeah. It's about time for us to leave too, so...”

“You're leaving tonight?”

“Yeah. No time like the present, right?” Rapunzel winds her arm around Cassandra's, clinging on as she calls over the din of the music. “Eugene! Are you ready?”

“Sunshine, I'll be right with you,” he calls back, in the midst of being dipped by Lance. Once he's back on his feet and says his goodbyes in a bone-crushing hug, he joins the two of them as they make their way to the edge of the dance floor.

“Is... is it okay for us to just leave like this?” Cass asks suspiciously. “You two don't need to make some kind of big announcement, or anything?”

“...Nah,” Eugene says after a long pause, exchanging a look with Rapunzel. “We can let the king and queen deal with that, right? Besides, the ship won't wait forever.”

Before Cass can protest further, Eugene slides up to the other side of her and links his arm in hers, and the two effectively march her down the steps and towards the docks.

“This is lovely and all, but I can't help the feeling that you two are kidnapping me,” she points out, as the three of them march on in silence.

“What! No! We – we just think you should see the boat! It's really gorgeous, and there's apparently an ice sculpture on board,” Rapunzel gabbles, starting to wax poetic in her ear as Eugene stands on the other side of her, equally enthusiastic.

“And get this – they didn't screw up my nose this time!! That's a huge deal, you absolutely cannot miss it-”

This weird pimping of the boat continues as they follow the path down to the harbour, greeting a few puzzled guards on the way as they tag along for protection. Cass can't shake the feeling that something extremely weird is going on. Eugene and Rapunzel have been shooting her odd looks all day, and she thought it was because her complicated feelings were obvious to everyone around her, but as they get closer and the ship comes into view, it definitely feels like there's a bigger story than that.

The boat is beautiful – the wood is dyed a deep cherry red, and the sails are the same rich purple as the Coronan flag, complete with the golden sun crest. On board, true to their words, is an ice sculpture, but as she strains her eyes, the sculpture depicting the happy couple looks suspiciously like a happy throuple, instead.

“Raps... Eugene... what exactly is going on here?”

“Oh, you'll see,” Eugene says under his breath, while Rapunzel giggles gleefully and gives no further answer.

Trunks of their belongings are already being loaded onto the ship when they arrive, and Cass notices a familiar satchel and carry on pack nestled beside one of Rapunzel's cases.

“Are – are those my things? Guys, _what_ is going on?”

Finally, the two of them release her arms and she takes a step back, eyes darting all over as she tries to comprehend what the fuck is happening right now.

“Cassandra,” Rapunzel begins, clasping her hands together joyfully, “we're boarding the ship for our honeymoon, and... we were hoping you would like to come with us.”

She stares. “...But why?”

“Why?” Eugene scoffs. “Why indeed, Cass, let me think. You're our best friend, you're in a relationship with my wife – something as intimate as a honeymoon doesn't just happen with two out of three when it comes to us, you understand?”

“But – but this wedding isn't for _us_ , it's for _you_ ,” splutters Cass, still wondering if she knocked her head at some point and woke up in a parallel universe, where things like a honeymoon for three were commonplace. He rolls his eyes, hard.

“Cass, look at us. We're wearing the same freaking suit. You do the math.”

“And we had our own wedding dance,” Rapunzel chimes in. “Even if you didn't really like it.”

“All right, just... stop, okay? Give me a minute to think.” Cass is starting to feel dizzy. “I – I know you both love me – in different ways,” she adds sharply, as Eugene opens his mouth. “But this is... pretty crazy. Even for us. I mean, people will talk about this, guys.”

Rapunzel and Eugene exchange amused glances. “Cass, everyone who knows us _knows_ , and everyone who doesn't have a pretty good guess about what goes on between us three,” Rapunzel says slowly. “You don't have to worry about that anymore, do you understand?”

“It's different now!” Cassandra protests, shaking her head in pure, unfiltered amazement. “You two are married now and it's – adulterous. Probably. Maybe even treasonous? God, my head hurts.”

“So it's not a cut and dry situation, that's fine!” Eugene throws up his hands in exasperation. “But damn it, Cass, you're acting like this is the end of days. If you stuck around more than a few days at a time, you'd realise that the people of Corona really don't care as much as you think they do.”

Cass opens and closes her mouth a few times, unsure of where to even start with protesting everything they've been saying to her. She loses the train of thought anyway once she lays eyes on Rapunzel, with a desperate look in her eyes as she watches Cass, fidgeting with her hands.

“Cass,” she says quietly, taking a tentative step forward, “we can't force you to come with us, but we would really like you to. So we can right this – this rigid law that stops us all from being happy.”

“...Okay, now you've definitely lost me.”

Rapunzel makes a frustrated noise in her throat, running her fingers back through her hair and resting both hands on the back of her neck, like she so often does when she's trying to think.

“Cassandra – once we are outside of Coronan waters, the laws don't apply anymore.”

“...And?”

Eugene half-laughs, half-coughs, and Rapunzel shoots him a pointed look before continuing more gently, “And, when we're out at sea, certain... marriage laws... don't apply either.”

She bites her lip, hoping this will be enough to get the gears turning in Cassandra's head, but she stares on blankly.

“Oh, for christ's sake!” Eugene slaps his forehead and pulls Cass along to stand beside Rapunzel, staring them both down with folded arms. “Cass, I don't know how many times we have to spell it out for you, but this has always been your wedding day too. If you want it to be, anyway.”

The words finally seem to hit home, and she stares between them with eyes as wide as a deer being stalked.

“What?” she squeaks.

“Cassandra, I have wanted to marry the both of you for as long as this has even been a conversation,” Rapunzel explains, and her voice shakes a little with her next words. “Of _course_ this is crazy, everything we do together is crazy! And, Cass? If you don't want to get on the boat and do this... I'll accept that. But – but I hope, after all that we've been through together, that you want to be my wife as much as I want to be yours.”

Time moves slowly as the weight of these words sink in, and Cass glances between Eugene, who is beginning to look emotional just in the presence of this proposal, and Rapunzel, laying her heart on the line just to show Cass how much she matters.

“You'd really do that? For me?”

“ _With_ you,” Rapunzel corrects, mouth splitting into a grin as her eyes gloss over with tears. “Cass, I would sail to the ends of the Earth if it meant I could marry you when we get there.”

“Oh god,” Eugene says in a hushed voice. He turns away, hand over his eyes. “You're both killing me here.”

“Can it, Fitzherbert,” Cass says on instinct, before a laugh bubbles up from her throat. “Raps, I – what do I even say to that?!”

“Say yes already, oh my god!”

“Eugene!” Rapunzel shakes her head, giggling helplessly. “Sorry, proposals get to him.”

Cass gives a watery laugh. “I'll bet. What's he going to do when we actually get married, huh?”

Rapunzel blinks a few times, then gasps in delight. “So it's a yes?!”

All Cass can do is nod before Rapunzel throws herself at her, hugging her tight enough to choke. Even with all the oxygen being squeezed from her lungs, Cass feels like she can breathe for the first time all day.

There's the sound of a throat being cleared behind them, and they turn to see a guard looking a little awkward to interrupt.

“Excuse me. Um... the smaller bags, should we load them on the ship, or...?”

“Yes, you should,” Cass says, barely able to contain her cheer. “Wherever these two go, I'm going with them.”

The guard shrugs, quickly turning back to the remaining luggage, and Cass cups Rapunzel's jaw, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before hiding her face in the top of Rapunzel's hair.

“Aww, don't be shy! I loved that!” Rapunzel giggles, pulling her in closer. “I loved that so much. Wherever we go, you're coming too. Yep... that's going in my journal for sure.”

“No,” groans Cass, still giggling despite herself. “Please, no record of anything sappy I say ever again.”

“Too late. See, you should know by now, Cass. Everything mushy we ever say will be immortalised in our wife's notebooks for the rest of our lives,” Eugene sighs, slinging an arm around her. Cass nods, keeping close as they steer her towards the boarding plank.

 _Our wife._ It feels too fucking good to be real.

“This isn't a dream, right?” she asks suddenly, as they're halfway up the plank. “This is really happening?”

“Of course it's real, art can't imitate life!” scoffs Eugene, looking a little offended. “This face can't simply be replicated in dreams, Cassandra.”

“No one is saying anything about your face, Eugene,” Rapunzel sighs, shaking her head fondly.

“You know what, Fitzherbert? You've got a point. If this were a dream your nose would be a totally different shape, for a start.”

“I don't get it! How hard can it be to draw somebody's nose in accurate proportion to their face?!”

As they take their first steps onto the boat and the plank is removed, they turn to see a few familiar faces have gathered. The parents have come to wave their children off, in a quiet moment of finality before the next chapter begins. Arianna waves to them, her aura simply overflowing with joy, Frederic watches on with a stiffer wave, clearly still coming to grips with what's about to happen once the boat leaves Corona. Edmund, stood off to the side, is loudly asking Hamuel why their good friend is tagging along for the journey.

A little further back, Cassandra's father watches on. Upon first glance, she freezes; Rapunzel's arm is still holding her in close, and she nods towards him, trying for a smile. He nods back, slowly at first, before raising his arms to wave.

He is called over by Arianna and sheepishly joins her, his eyes never fully leaving Cass as he does so. Overwhelmed, she glances down at Rapunzel, who is leaning with her head against her shoulder, still beaming and waving at her parents.

“My father knew about this, then?” she asks quietly. Rapunzel shrugs, a shy smile on her face.

“I know we don't need it, but I wanted his blessing. I wanted him to know that you're loved, and you're gonna live a long life and be okay.”

The regal trill of trumpets fill the air, as the small cluster of guards on the dock stand to attention. A few words are read from a prepared scroll, carried away by the ocean breeze before Cass can hear, and then suddenly they're moving. The faces of their parents are growing smaller, the stretch of ocean growing larger, and Cass exhales shakily before turning to Rapunzel and Eugene.

“I think I'm going to puke,” she confesses.

“What?!” squeaks Rapunzel, alarmed.

“Well, now would be a terrible time to tell us you get seasick,” Eugene jokes, clapping her on the back. “Seriously though. You okay?”

“I'm fine. I just... realised how much of what was said happened in front of all those strangers. And then our parents. God, I'm gonna jump.”

“Yeah, no jumping,” Eugene says firmly, tugging her away from the boat's edge by her shoulders. “How long until we're out of Coronan waters?”

“Less than an hour.” The tremors are back in Rapunzel's voice again.

“And there are... aha! Three hours until the clock strikes midnight. You're in luck, ladies. If we play our cards right, this day will go down in history as both our anniversaries. How's that sound, huh?”

“Sounds like everything I've dreamed of,” Rapunzel sighs, melting against Cass. “Doesn't it feel good just to be here and not having to hide it?”

“I mean, we're embarking with a very small crew for a private ceremony outside of Coronan waters,” Cass points out. “Feels pretty hidden to me.”

Rapunzel pouts. “Ah, you're right.”

“You know... I think it's better this way. I wouldn't want it to be some public affair anyway,” Cass says quickly. “But yeah, this still feels like I'm in some sort of fever dream.”

“Want me to pinch you to be sure?”

“If you pinch me I will kill you. And hey, what was all this about a shapeshifter check at the gates, huh, Fitzherbert? I missed your wedding vows just so you could mess with me?!”

“Oh, that. I thought it would be funny!”

The ship sails off, disappearing into the evening sky, and even as she's bickering with Eugene and being held back by an exasperated Rapunzel, Cass can't help believing that this might be the start of her own happily ever after, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> lets all take a moment just to appreciate cass...  
> and let me know if you liked it!


End file.
